Machinery for scutching and cleaning flax.



No. 654,955. v Patented July 3!, I900. E. J. DE CUUBCY G. R. CRAWFORD. MAGHINERY FOR SGUTCH ING AND CLEANING FLAX.

(Applicatim filed Jpn. 9, 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets8heet l.

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Patented July 3|, [900.

E. J. DE COUBCY &. R. CRAWFORD.

. MACHINERY FDR SCUTOHING AND CLEANING FLAX.

(No Model.)

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PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD JOSEPH DE COURQY AND ROBERT CRAWFORD, -or BELFAST, IRELAND.

MACHINERY FOR SCUTCHING AND CLEA N ING FLAX.

SPEGiFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 654,955, dated July 3]., 1900.

Application filed January 9, 1900. Serial No. (N model.)

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDWARD JOSEPH DE Connor and ROBERT CRAWFORD, subjects of the Queen of Great Britain and Ireland, and

residents of Belfast, in the county of Antrim,

Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Machinery forscutching and Cleaning Flax, (for which We have obtained provisional protection in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, dated July 6, 1899, and numbered 13,945 g) and We do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear,'and exact de-- scription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. A

The object of this invention is to produce machinery for scutching, beating, and cleaning flax in an expeditious and superior manner without injuring the fiber, while at the same time reducing waste to a minimum.

In carrying out our invention We mount two drums in suitable framework, provided with a number of boaters parallel to each Other, the longitudinal free edges of which are provided with teeth or undulations formed and arranged in manner hereinafter described. These drums are so arranged in relation to each other that their respective beaters will engage slightly and freely between each other .when inaction. Suitable gear is provided for imparting the necessary rotary motion to these drums.

The formation of the teeth or undulations of the beaters constitutes the essential feature of our invention and will be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a complete machine constructed according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2 in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailed View of two of the heaters, on a larger scale, showing the peculiar'formation of the teeth or undulations and the relation of the heaters to each other, as presently more fully described. Fig.

4 is a broken portion of Fig. 3, the scale be-' ing still larger; and Fig. 5 is a cross-section through the uppermost beater on the line 5 5 in. Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the views.

A is the frame of the machine; B and O, the two drums mounted on shafts D and E and rotating toward each other. Motion is transmitted to these drums by the fast pulley F, using the spur-wheels G and H, which are keyed to the shafts D and E. Ordinary means (not shown)are provided by which the proximity of the drums toward each other may be adjusted. J is a loose pulley.

It will be understood that the shafts D E are so geared together that the outer edges of the beaters K carried on one shaft are presented in the space between the boaters car-- ried on the other shaft (see Fig. 2) and that they are adjusted at such a distance apart that they do not grasp the fiber between, but treat it loosely by a motion analogous to combing. These beaters are shown in detail in Figs. 3 and4 and we would have it expressly understood that the formation of the teeth or undulations of same constitutes the essential feature of our invention and is as follows: A section of each beater, as shown to the right of the dotted line L L, Fig. 3, is provided with teeth 7c, consisting of regular semicircular domes and recesses above and below the pitch-line. This section, which is intended for the purpose hereinafter described, is designated for convenience the regular section. The section on the left of the dotted line L L is provided with teeth or undulations it of a special formation, being shaped as' illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, especially in the latter figure,which shows the formation on a larger scale. These teeth or undulations 7c incline in opposite directions from the extremities toward the median line P P of the section, as shown. This section we designate for convenience the diverging section. The drums thus equipped are mounted in relation to each other in a manner whereby the teeth 7t 76 of one drum travel around in planes between those of the corresponding teeth or undulations k k of the opposite drum. This relationship is clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4. The effect of this arrangement is that inthe operation of the machine as each beater comes in contact with the flax which is presented to the diverging section the fibers are caused to spread laterally or diverge in a fan-like manner and are IOC thereby more thoroughly exposed and consequently more efficiently acted upon in the process of combing out the shov'esi'in the center of the flax under treatment. The

spreading action is-due to the inclined faces" of the teeth. One side of each tooth-that nearest the median line of the machine''is either toward or from that line; but the other side of those teeth the farthest from the median line is inclined and tends to move the fibers away from that line. It results that the fibers on the left are moved farther the right.

The domes oriapices of the teeth bothof the regular and diverging sections are rounded 'O[1 thestriking side in order to insure the easy combing or straightening of the fibers without pulling them away, while the recesses are sharp-edged to insure the efiicient clean ing and 'beatingof theifibers.

We prefer to use the machine as herein described as a finishing-machine.

The flax may be fed to our improved machine through the hopper t by hand or otherwise, as found convenient.

the attendant takes by one end a bundle of flax, technically called a handful, and inl: troducing the opposite end between the drums allows it to be drawn in, or, as we prefer to term it, carried'forward, as far as possible. He then withdraws it and allows it to be again carried forward, shaking it and turning it as usual. This operation hejrepeats as oftenas occ'aslon may require, whereuppn he reverses 1 the handful and subjects theother end to similar treatment.

The flax may be passed i from the diverging section to the regular section It or from the regular to the diverging 360M011 at pleasure, the function of the former ters Patent isabeingboth to clean and. tospread and the l tion 7a, the fibers will be efficiently beaten and radial and has no tendency to move the fibers rendered soft and silkyin texture'and ap pearance.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of our said invention, we would have it understood that we do not confine ourselves to the exact formation of the teeth-or undulations as herein described andtillustrated, as the same may be altered in .detail withoutdeparting from the principle of our invention; but 7 W hat we claim, and desire tosecure by Let- 1. In a machine drums B O carryinglongitudinal bars K av,- ranged to slightly inter-mesh, provided with teeth is inclined in opposite directions from "a median'line P P adapted to serve'as herein specified.

In a machine for scutching fiber the drums B O carrying longitudinal bars K ary ranged to'slightly intermesh, in two sections, In the operation of our improved machine onethe divergent section having teeth kinclined in opposite directions from a median line P P and the other regular section having upright teeth arranged adjacent adapted to serve as herein specified. 7

In testimony that weclaim the invention above set forth we afllx our signatures, in presence of two witnesses, this 6th day of December, 1899.

for scutching the 

